1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates, generally, to heat pipes and more particularly to a method for forming an improved wick for a heat pipe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well understood by those familiar with heat pipes, the sizes of wick pores preferably are as small as it is possible to make them in order to achieve maximum capillary pumping pressures in order to minimize the working fluid inventory in the wick.
One of the most successful methods of producing tubular heat pipe wicks heretofore employed involves the steps of wrapping a fine mesh metallic screen about an inner mandrel, inserting the wrapped inner mandrel into an outer mandrel, and then passing the resulting assembly through a swaging machine, or drawing die, for deforming the screen into a porous, though rigid, tubular structure. The mandrels subsequently are removed from the tubular structure through a preferential chemical etching technique, while the wick ultimately is subjected to a sintering operation in order to further increase the density and rigidity of the structure.
It is the general purpose of the instant invention to provide an improved method for forming a heat pipe having an enhanced density and rigidity, and pores of selectively reduced sizes.